Gerber Legendary Blades has been making multitools for what seems like forever, they seem to be about as old as Leatherman themselves. Before Gerber was owned by Fiskars they had released their first tool and it has definitely changed over the years. The first version had no locking system (much like the LM PST) and was simple in nature. Time progressed and locks were added as well as some small changes in tool design, but the 600 stays true to its roots as a testament to what kind of tool that Gerber tools were made of. The 600 can be seen as a classic or a retro tool; it reminds us of the multitools of our past. Sure Gerber has new tools like the Freehand, Recoil and the Diesel etc. And the 600 gets a lot of trash because it’s being compared to the current designs on the market. I mean; come on…how many of you remember when the PST had 3 different screwdriver blades…..all the same, did we complain then?

It’s good to see SOG staying in the multi tool game by teaming up with Paladin Tools, a large producer of professional-quality electrical and telecommunications tools. As the general-purpose multi tool market becomes more and more saturated, I believe manufacturers will begin to target these specialty niche markets in order to sell their products.

The PowerPlay PT-510 is largely based upon SOG’s Pocket PowerPlier model S44. The handles and plier jaws are the same size, but there have been some improvements, along with a few special features for electrical/datacom work.

Leatherman continues to dominate the multitool market; this is due in part by two things, advertising not only to its pre-existing customer base but to the newcomers as well and most importantly it’s the drive to continually innovate on the designs of their tools, Leatherman is constantly refining and changing the shape of the tools themselves and how the public as a whole views them. I believe most of Leatherman’s success is just the shear dominance of name brand, they pioneered the market and ever since 9/11 they have become more common place as they are more appealing to the public than a regular pocket knife.

I got this because of the outside opening blade, I thought it could replace my EDC knife only to find it was nigh on impossible to open the blade one handed, the blade looks as though it was stamped out from a sheet and the finger holes are beveled in so my finger could not get a grip secure enough for me to open the blades. I got out the trusty Dremmel and put some cross hatching on the blade above the finger holes and it is now possible to open the tools one handed, when you get the outer blades half open it releases the lock of the inside tool and it too can then be opened easily.

I bought this to replace my first Gerber that was the one of the first models Gerber made that nipped your hand if you were not careful how you used it. I gave that one to one of my sons who still uses it in case he has adjustments to make on his bike while out riding.

When I first saw pictures of the Buck X-Tract I thought it was a cool looking tool but wasn't sure how well it would be. Then when I found out it was selling for just around $30 on most knife and tool sites I thought I would take the risk and get one.

First off let me say that this will be more than a review, think of it as “ramblings of a multitool enthusiast”. I have been a fan of the multitool scene ever since I was introduced to it around 2001. I had known about Swiss Army Knives, which virtually everyone carried, and of Tim Leatherman’s brand of tools that also were on the market. I never was a pocket knife person and never did carry one, let alone a tool of any kind, I just didn’t see why anyone would ever need one….and then I was hooked. A couple of the guys at work had pocket knives and I was not drawn in to own one myself but I did fancy the ingenuity and simplicity of them. On my birthday (Dec 12th) in 2000, the guys at work pitched in and bought me my first mulitool. Their choice was a Gerber Multi-Lite, since I seemed to be a person that might not like just having a knife; they figured they could give me something with a little more utility. Ever since I received that gift I have been hooked on knives and tools alike, my quest went from there to find the perfect multitool. Course problem being was; the market was quite saturated with so many tools that it makes ones head hurt trying to decide. With other brands adding to the above mentioned, like Bear MGC, Kershaw, Buck, SwissTech, etc. you really had to do your homework before you made your purchase.

The Fuse is the middle child in a family of three tools Leatherman brought out in 2004. It is more capable than the less expensive Kick , but thinner and lighter than the Blast. All three tools bear a strong resemblance to each other, and all share the same improved stronger elliptical plier head. (Along with the Leatherman Charge and New Wave .)

I have just received a Paul Chen Multi Tasker, first impression= it could have been made by Gerber, very much like a shiny Recoil. Then when you start using it you find the shears can not be flicked out like a Gerber because they are locked in both the open and closed position. To use you have to press the buttons and let it slide open/closed. The shears are 1/8" thick and cut what cable I had laying around very well also paper card plastic sheet a seat belt and some canvas.

Once in a while a design comes along that seems innovative, and many of those that do come along just miss the mark due to one problem or another. The Leatherman SideClip is an innovative design but was discontinued some time ago. In my mind, this simply screamed “bad design” to me. I decided to pick one up after some members on the forum raved about how good it was. I figured, at the very least it was worth adding one to my collection. Once again, I was happy to be proven wrong.

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What kind of people would write collect and review multitools? Quite simple really- we are designers and do-ers, outdoors types and indoor types, mechanics, doctors, problem solvers and problem makers. As such, we have, as a world spanning community, put every type, size and version of multitool, multifunction knife, pocket knife and all related products to every test we could manage in as many places and environments as there are.